Effect of Aging Time on the Synthesis of Fe-doped TiO2 Thin Films by Spin Coating Method

Abstract

<p>The synthesis of Fe-doped TiO<sub>2</sub> thin film using spin coating method was studied. Effects of aging time on the deposited thin film were investigated. Titanium butoxide (C<sub>16</sub>H<sub>36</sub>O<sub>4</sub>Ti) as a precursor solution was mixed with the FeCl<sub>3</sub>. Spin coating process was carried out on three types of precursor solution: (1) spin-coating process performed immediately after the precursor solution was made, (2) spin-coating process performed after solution was aged for 24 hours, (3) aged for 24 and (4) spin-coating after aging the precursor for 72 hours. Heating was carried out on the resulting thin film at temperature of 400 °C. The morphology of TiO<sub>2</sub> layers was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Elemental and phase composition of the films was determined using EDX and X-ray diffraction (XRD). We found that the best TiO<sub>2</sub> layer is obtained when spin-coating process is done after aging the precursor for 72 hours. The layer shows a more uniform particle distribution on the substrate and a more monodisperse particle size dominated by the anatase phase.</p>